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gasoline as no chew

Yesterday when I was at the barn, I noticed one of the barn workers painting the posts in my horse's turn out. I asked him what he was painting on the fence and he said GASOLINE. My horse chews the wood. I've had this conversation with the bm and she said she would consult me before introducing any chemicals to the fence. I know my horse is bored. The barn guys said something about using OIL (don't know what kind) when he doesn't use gasoline.

we have done the diesel fuel painting for years... works like a charm and never really had any problems with getting it in eyes/ getting sick off of it. (Not to say it couldn't happen) The horses tend to not like the smell of it and just stay away from the fence boards all together.

I strongly urge the OP to ask her veterinarian if that is safe. I promise you the look you will get will mirror the look I have on my face right now. I am incredulous.

Of course not. One should not paint gasoline, diesel fuel, used motor oil etc on fences that one's horse actively chews. That is just asking for trouble. We did this "in the olden days" because it worked sometimes and we didn't know the health risks but now that we have better products and know the risks this is just unacceptable.

Try offering him some free choice lower nutrition value hay and a "chew board" along with some toys (maybe something you can put alfalfa pellets/cubes in and he can roll it around to get all the goodies out) to alleviate his boredom. Meanwhile, try painting the spots you don't want him to chew with an approved product, or covering them with hotwire.

Michael: Seems the people who burned me want me for a job.
Sam: A job? Does it pay?
Michael: Nah, it's more of a "we'll kill you if you don't do it" type of thing.
Sam: Oh. I've never liked those.

My horse is a cribber turned chewer. We used to treat the board he chewed with products. That just lead him to find more places to chew, or even adapt to the taste of the product. I finally said, 'the hell with it, I'll replace it.' Now he has one board, of his choice, that he wears out. When he's done with it, I'll get him a new one. See if your guy will settle on one preferred place. If so, let him have it, and he'll leave the rest alone. It's a helluva lot cheaper in the long run.

As someone who helps oil companies clean up gasoline products within soil for a living, I would stongly urge anyone to find something else that is not toxic. Those chemical compounds in gasoline stay in the soils for long periods of time 50 years and beyond. It is also toxic to ingest for horses and humans. Painting places were horses mouth or chew AND places that are touched by human hands with a carcinogen, is not healthy for anyone, not to mention flamable.

I also think that there could be fines for using gasoline on your property where it can potentially contaminate the soils. Please reconsider and I would never have a horse in a facility that utilizes toxic carcinogens around horses and people.

Used motor oil and gasoline are very common no-chew compounds around here, but they absolutely are not safe for animals, people or the environment. IME (when I was very young and did not know any better) they don't even work that well. They'll stop the horses from chewing while the smell is still strong, but it fades quickly and then they're chewing on used motor oil or gas-soaked wood.

I would speak to the BO about it and really reconsider boarding somewhere where they considered it to be an acceptable practice.

Ditto with adding a fence wire - things painted on don't last anyways! You can buy insulators and place them so that the line is just above the fenceline and NO horse will be able to chew without getting a good ZAP!

I have worked in ecological/human health risk assessment and environmental remediation for over 20 yrs. Petroleum products contain a number of potentially toxic chemicals (carinogens/mutagens) including benzene, toluene, xylene, and additives such as ethylene dibromide (EDB) and methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE), as well as metals. Many of these are highly soluble and can leach to ground- and surface water if not volatilized or degraded. Metals are readily taken up into plant tissue which can be ingested. It is not a wise idea to use petroleum products for weed control along fence lines or "painting" fences. While the horse may not chew the fence boards, there is the potential for contaminating forage and drinking water.

we have done the diesel fuel painting for years... works like a charm and never really had any problems with getting it in eyes/ getting sick off of it. (Not to say it couldn't happen) The horses tend to not like the smell of it and just stay away from the fence boards all together.

Horses would not get sick from the gasoline, they would have illness from lack of an immune system. Abcesses, immune system failures, cancer...that kind of illness can be linked to carcinogens. Contact with carcinogens degrade the immune system and make the horse or person susceptible to illness. Animals and humans don't get sick directly from carcinogens like diesel or gasoline.